The Black Ice
by farushion
Summary: Five years after the Great Battle, the Clans are living in times of great peace. That is, however, until one former medicine cat looks into the future and receives chilling news: the Clans were to face a leaf-bare with no end. In the midst of the worst phenomenon the Clans have ever seen, a new leader rises, and he proves to be much more dangerous than the endless snow...
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

Leader

Reedstar - black tom

Deputy

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom

Medicine Cat

Berryleaf - ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Warriors

Lizardfoot - light brown tom  
Apprentice, Flowerpaw (fluffy cream she-cat)

Havenflight - black and white she-cat

Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

Heronwing - dark gray and black tom

Pebbletail - light gray she-cat  
Apprentice, Milkpaw (white cat)

Streamclaw - silver cat with white patches

Cedarnose - brown tabby tom

Cherrysky - tortoiseshell cat with big blue eyes  
Apprentice, Littlepaw (small brown-gray tabby tom)

Leopardwhisker - golden cat with bushy tail  
Apprentice, Sedgepaw (black and gray tom with three legs)

Birchcloud - pale gray tabby tom

Bumbleberry - dark gray cat with white spots and with messy fur

Maplefeather - long furred tortoiseshell she-cat

Robinear - ginger she-cat

Duskpelt - skinny black tom with piercing eyes

Kit-bearers

Swanstorm - white she-cat  
Sunkit (white tom with orange patches), Fernkit (light gray she-kit with white spots)

Hawkflower - light brown tabby cat with white paws

Elders

Minnowtail - dark gray she-cat

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

Grasspelt - light brown tom

**SHADOWCLAN**

Leader

Rowanstar - ginger tom

Deputy

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, Dapplepaw (tortoiseshell she-cat)

Medicine Cat

Ivycloud - jet-black cat  
Apprentice, Honeypaw (golden she-cat with white chest and paws)

Warriors

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, Silverpaw (silver and white tabby tom)

Scorchfur - dark gray tom

Ferretclaw - black and gray tom

Grassfeather - pale brown tabby she-cat

Spiketooth - dark brown tom

Dawnpelt - cream-furred she-cat

Pinenose - black she-cat

Stoatfur - tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Snowflower - white she-cat  
Apprentice, Dipperpaw (black cat with white chest)

Emberclaw - ginger and white cat

Seedfur - light brown tabby cat

Blackstorm - black and white she-cat

Grayfrost - dark gray tom

Spidertuft - brown brindle she-cat

Sorrelstripe - ginger cat with stripe down back

Morningfeather - golden she-cat

Kit-bearers

Fawnheart - large tan she-cat

Elders

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Snowbird - pure white she-cat

**THUNDERCLAN**

Leader

Bramblestar - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice, Foxpaw (ginger she-cat)

Deputy

Rainstrike - gray tabby with white chest and stomach

Medicine Cat

Jayfeather - gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes  
Apprentice, Hollyfern (dark gray she-cat)

Warriors

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Amberflight - pale ginger she-cat

Stormcloud - gray tabby tom

Dewleaf - gray and white tom  
Apprentice, Crowpaw (dark gray she-cat)

Berrynose - cream coloured tom

Ivypool - silver and white tabby she cat with dark blue eyes

Rosepetal - dark cream she-cat  
Apprentice, Daisypaw (cream she-cat)

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Briarlight - dark brown she-cat with sky-coloured eyes, paralyzed in her hindquarters

Lilyheart - tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Blossomfall - tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe - very pale gray tom with black stripes

Turtlewhisker - dark gray tabby she-cat

Soothawk - huge black tom

Goldenfur - pale ginger tabby cat

Sorrelmask - red tabby she-cat with white tail

Palepad - light gray cat

Kit-bearers

Fireclaw - ginger tabby cat  
Spottedkit (tortoiseshell she-cat), Rumblekit (gray tabby tom)

Cherryfall - ginger she-cat

Elders

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes

Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**WINDCLAN**

Leader

Heatherstar - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy

Larkwing - pale brown tabby she-cat

Medicine Cat

Kestrelflight - mottled gray tom  
Apprentice, Owlpaw (brown tabby she-cat)

Warriors

Crouchfoot - ginger tom

Furzepelt - gray and white she-cat

Oatfur - pale brown tabby tom

Hootclaw - dark gray tom

Feathercloud - gray tabby she-cat  
Apprentice, Leafpaw (ginger tom)

Slightbreeze - black tom with flash of white on his chest  
Apprentice, Cloudpaw (white and gray cat)

Smoketail - dark gray tom with black paws and tail

Gorsetalon - light brown cat with long claws

Swiftwing - black and white cat

Lightningfang - white cat

Stonenose - blue-gray tabby tom

Quickclaw - sandy tabby she-cat with long legs

Elders

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark paws

Leaftail - dark tabby tom, amber eyes

Crowfeather - dark gray tom

**CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

Mittens - scarred black and white tom

Raptor - huge light gray tom

Kitty - sleek golden she-cat


	2. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

_Hundreds of paws thrummed against the _bright meadow as cats poured seemingly endlessly into the hollow. Stars lined their pelts, some more clear than others, while some cats were almost completely see-through. Warriors, medicine cats, elders, apprentices, leaders and kits all joined together, a communal sense of dread and urgency rippling through each one. At the bottom of a huge hollow, bodies huddled around a large mound of boulders. Sitting at the top were the most significant members of the assembly. Once all cats were present, a wail pierced the buzzing voices.

"Cats of StarClan!" A tom with a fiery pelt yelled, "As many of you already know, Littlecloud has seen into the future of the Clans and come upon some… Troubling news. He was not sure what else to call it other than an 'endless leaf-bare'."

The clearing exploded into a chorus of voices.

"What does that mean?"

"All the Clans are going to be wiped out!"

"We have to help them!"

"Silence!" boomed a massive white cat with black paws, also sitting upon the rocks. "We understand your concerns. This will be a hard time for the Clans. However, the Clans survived the Great Battle, and they will survive this, too! It will take more than a little snow to wipe out our kin!"

Some cats murmured in agreement. Others looked skeptical, and others still shouted their thoughts.

"But Blackstar," a dappled gray tom meowed once the noise died down, "RiverClan and WindClan will be the most vulnerable. RiverClan especially, when the river and lake freeze over. How do you expect them to survive with no prey? Reedstar is not the young cat he used to be, and his deputy isn't fairing much better."

"RiverClan is strong, Shellheart. Reedstar is a wise leader, and still has four more lives. I am sure he will lead his clan well through this." Blackstar assured him.

Shellheart didn't look convinced, but he did not say any more.

"We have decided that we will send cats to each leader and medicine cat to deliver a message," a third cat, her pelt blue-gray said, "ThunderClan will be sent Firestar and Cinderpelt, ShadowClan will be sent Blackstar and Littlecloud, RiverClan will be sent Leopardstar and Brambleberry, and WindClan will be sent Tallstar and Barkface. These cats will brief the Clan cats on the situation, so that they may be prepared for what is to come."

An eerie silence swept over the assembled cats. They were too horrified and worried for their living Clanmates to speak, the only communication between them a few feverish glances.

The ginger tom swept his gaze across the clearing. "StarClan must not sit idly by anymore. This is not the time for vague prophecies or unnecessary lies." He shot a quick glare at a raggedy gray she-cat sitting at the foot of the rocks.

"Firestar is right. If the Clans are to survive, they will need all the help they can get." The blue she-cat nodded.

"That is all that we know thus far. This gathering is dismissed." Firestar leaped down from the boulders and shoved his way through the mass of bodies. Claws unsheathed, he sprinted out of the hollow and streaked across the grassy, open plains. He would not let it show around the other great leaders and StarClan cats, but he felt great terror. He would give anything to be able to go back to ThunderClan and protect them.

Firestar thought about his daughters, Squirrelflight and Leafpool. They were both still alive, though the two sisters had moved to the elder's den many moons ago. He thought about his grandchildren, Leafpool's kits Jayfeather and Lionblaze, as well as Squirrelflight's kits, Fireclaw, Sorrelmask and Goldenfur. He thought about Fireclaw's newborn kits, only a few sunrises old, Spottedkit and Rumblekit. His kin and all his descendants were in grave danger, and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

Without realizing it, Firestar had run all the way to the river. As he stared down into the ever-flowing water, he could see countless fish rippling underneath the surface. _With an endless leaf-bare, there will be no more fish_, he thought solemnly. No cat had dared say it, but Shellheart's concerns were all too real. _Reedstar should have retired to the elder's den, yet he was forced to become leader when Mistystar died so suddenly. Will his final days be spent desperately fighting for the lives of his Clanmates? _

Hard pawsteps sounded behind him and he whirled around to see a familiar face.

"Hello, Crookedstar." Firestar bowed his head respectfully.

Crookedstar did the same. He then gazed down into the river. "Greetings. I will not lie to you, Firestar. I'm sick with worry for my Clan. I would have never imagined such a horrible thing to befall our kin."

"Crookedstar, I don't think you could find a cat in StarClan that isn't worried for their Clan right now. I, too, dread the days to come for ThunderClan."

The great leader nodded. "Yes, but ThunderClan is much more protected from snow and ice than RiverClan. It may be hard to find prey when it all goes underground in the forest, but when the water freezes? RiverClan will go hungry, if it is not the cold that kills them first."

Firestar's eyes widened. "I never expected to hear such words from you."

"At times like this, even those cats you thought would never fall will crumble."

An icy chill ran through Firestar. Crookedstar was a leader that he deeply respected, and to see him giving up so easily shook him to the bone. He shifted his paws uneasily, searching for a way to respectfully walk away, when suddenly Crookedstar's head snapped up. His light brown fur bristled and the tip of his tail started to twitch relentlessly. The former RiverClan leader turned to stare at his companion.

"It is far worse than I thought," his eyes were full of great pain and sadness as he regarded the flame-coloured tom. "The cold will not be the Clans' greatest enemy. It will be ThunderClan."


End file.
